Nana Yaw Barima Barnie, the Acting Chief Manager of Ghana Water Company Limited in the Western Region, has revealed that customers in the area owe the company over GHS 23 million for water services provided. He stated that this significant debt is hindering the company’s ability to ensure a continuous water supply to local residents.
In an interview with Citi News in Takoradi on Tuesday, October 29, Mr. Barnie shared that the Ghana Water Company is launching a revenue mobilization campaign aimed at recovering the outstanding GHS 23 million. This initiative is crucial for maintaining water supply operations throughout the region.
“Currently, Ghana Water Company has a big issue of arrears owed by customers. Countrywide, we are owed in excess of GHS 800 million, and when you come to the Western Region alone, the arrears are in excess of GHS 23 million, and that is a big problem for us,” he stated.
Mr. Barnie highlighted the serious implications of non-payment, noting that it directly impacts the company’s operational capabilities. He explained that the company relies on the payments it receives to import necessary inputs for water treatment.
“Ghana Water Company at the moment is not a subverted organization, and so in our day-to-day operations, we need to depend on the bills our customers pay us. Thus, we buy chemicals in foreign currencies, pipes, fuel our vehicles, maintain equipment breakdowns which happen frequently, pay salaries of staff, and a lot more. All these require a lot of money, and that money comes from the bills customers pay. So if you have a customer who pays you just GHS 300 out of a bill of GHS 1,000, it means you’re not in good business,” he elaborated.
To address the situation, Mr. Barnie announced that the company is undertaking an intensive revenue mobilization effort that will include disconnections for defaulters.
“We are moving from house to house to collect bills that people owe us from now till the end of December. If we come to your house, we expect that you pay us what you owe us. It is not in our interest to disconnect a customer, so we want customers to pay their bills even before we get there,” he concluded.
